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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. Y F. L. BECKER.

REPETITION ACTION FOR PIANQS. No; 297,908. I Patented Apr. 29, 1-8 84.

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REPETITION AGTION FOR PIANOS.

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I N0.'297,908. Pajoerited Apr. 29, 1884.

INV TOR Z/adaw ATTORNEYS.

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WW K75? I UNITED STATES I PATENT @EETCE.

FRANCIS L. BECKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR O13 ONE-FOURTH TO GUSTAVBECKER.

REPETlTlON-ACTION FOR PlANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,908, dated April29, 1884.

Application filed May '1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. BECKER, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRepeatingActions for Grand and Square Pianos, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has reference to an improved action for grand and squarepianos by which not only a simple and reliable construction, but also agreat facility of repetition and an improved touch in the key, isobtained.

The invention consists of a repetition-action for grand pianos, in whicha hammer-butt hav- I 5 ing two shoulders, one above the other, is actedupon by a lifting-jack, which latter is retained on the lower shoulderof the hammer-butt by a hitching device, and actuated by abalancing-spring that is applied to the balancingjack, so as toimpartaconstant backward tension thereon. The balancing-jack is pivoted at itslower end to a fulcrumed balancing-lever and retained at its upper endto the hammer-butt by a hitching device, con- 2 5 sisting of a pitch-pinapplied to the hammerbutt, and of slitted hitching-strap applied to thebalancing-jack.

The invention consists, further, of certain details of construction,which will be more fully 0 described hereinafter, and finally be pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters ofreference indicate the same parts, Figure 1 represents a side view of myimproved grand-piano action, showing the operating mechanism when atrest; and Figs. 2 and 3 represent side views of v the action, shown,respectively, in position after the key has been pressed down to itsfull 0 extent and in position after the key has been slightly raisedagain from its lowermost position for the purpose of repetition.

A in the drawings represents the hammer, the butt A of which ispivotedto the fixed 5 butt-arm B in any approved manner. The

hammer-butt A is provided with two shoulders, a and aone above the otherand equidistant, or nearly so, from the pivot of the hammer-butt-andalso with a rest-cushion, b,

in front of the shoulder a, and with a hitchpin, d, back of the shouldera. The hammer A is lifted by a jack, 0, of the usual construction, whichengages the upper shoulder, a, of the hani1ner-butt A. The lifting-jackO is pivoted in the usual manner to a fixed arm, 0, of the key-lever Dand checked by a fixed button, Q of the rail H of the action-frame. Asecond jack, E, is arranged to engage the lower shoulder, a, of thehammer-butt A, and is connected by a slitted strap, d, to the hitchpin dof the hammer-butt A. This auxiliary or balancing jack E is pivoted atits lower end to the rear end of a fulcrumed lever, E, which is providedat its front end with a regulating screw-button, f, and a check-hook, 9.To 6 the rear part of the lever E is also attached an upwardly-extendingwire, h, with a terminal button, h, that operates upon a blockscrew, hof the butt-arm B. The slotted lug e, which forms the fulcrum of thelever E, is applied to the rear end of a fixed angular arm,

F, that is attached to the key-lever D, while to its front end issecured an upright supporting-post, F, to which is applied the balancingwire spring G, the front end of which is around a tension-regulatingscrew, i, of the post E, which screw is provided with a nick for readilyturning the same, and adjusting thereby the tension of the spring G.From the tension-regulating screw 1; the balancing- 8o spring G passesover the recessed and cushioned head of the post F, toward thebalancing-jack E. The rear end of the balancingspring G is bent in theshape of a hook, i, to which is attached the looped cord G, whichextends along a center groove at the lower end of the balancing-j ack E,and which is attached above the pivot of the same by means of a woodenkey or other attachment to the jack E, as shown clearly in the drawings.The 0 balancing-spring G exerts. a constant backward tension upon thebalance-jack E, so as to cause it to exert a balancing action upon thehammer by means of the hitching device 61 d when the key has been struckand the 5 hammer raised by the lifting-jack C. The lifting and balancingjack 0 and E act upon separate and independent shoulders of thehammer-butt, the lifting-jack being oscillated in following the motionof the key-lever,while the balancing-jack is confined by the hitchingdevice to its position on the hammer-butt and turned in backwarddirection by the tension of the balancing-spring Gr, whereby the jacksalways move independently of each other and without ever coming incontact with each other, so as to impede each others motion, and bywhich the tension of the balancing-spring on the hammer butt is in thesame direction as that of the motion imparted to the hammer-butt by thelifting-jack-namely, in an arc of a circle the center of which is formedby the pivot of the hammer-butt. The key-lever D is fulcrumed to itsbalancing'rail D, and provided at its rear end with the usualhammer-check, A. The rail H carries at its upper part the usualhammercushion, A". The butt-arm l} is secured to a second bar, H, of theaction-frame, which is arranged at some distance back of the bar H, soas to provide the required space for the intermediate mechismsdescribed.

The operation of my improved pianoaction is as follows: \Vhen the key isslowly pressed down, the rear part of the key-lever and the mechanismsattached thereto are raised, so that the lifting-jack will raise thehammer butt high enough for the hammer'head to ap preach the string towithin about one-eighth of an inch, when the lower arm of theliftingjack will touch the regulating-button O and escape thereby fromthe butt-shoulder a. At the moment when this escapement occurs thebalaneing-jack'E, that acts upon the second shoulder, c,ofthehammerbutt,will, by means ofits balancing-spring, hold the hammer-head in position near the string till the key is allowed to rise atits front end, when, immediately before the hammer drops down into itsformer position of rest, the lifting-jack will reengage its shouldensoas to be ready to respond to the next stroke, even with the key being atthe low dip of one-sixteenth of an inch from its balance-rail. \Vhetherthe key is struck gently or with considerable force, the motionsdescribed will always take place. By striking the key in the usualmanner the hammerhead will be thrown by an uninterrupted swing againstthe string, and produce either a soft or loud tone, according to theforce exerted upon the key. The hammer-head next rebounds and settleswith its lower tapering end on the back check, A where it will beretained until the front end of the key is permitted to rise again. Assoon as the hammer-head is released from the hold of the back check, thebalancingjack, by means of the action exerted thereon by thebalancing-spring, will support the hammer until the liftingjack hasre-engaged the shoulder on the hammer-butt,so that when the key isreleased the key-lever will return, together with the mechanism attachedthereto, to its position of rest. The required tension of thebalancing-spring G is obtained by the regulating-screw t, so that theexact degree of force is exerted upon the balancing jack. Thebalancing'spring has two distinct functions: First,it acts upon thebalancing-jack and causes the latter to exert a tension in the directionof the upward motion of the hammerbutt; second, it operates thebalancingjack and its fulcrumed lever so as to counterbalance the weightof the hammerhead when the same is in position near the string. Thecheck-wire and button h It will at the moment when the escapement of thelifting-jack occurs touch the block-screw of the hammer-butt arm andprevent thus the blocking of the hammer-head against the string in casean extreme pressure is produced upon the key by the player. Theregulating screw-buttonf, that is attached to the front end of thelcverE of the balancingjack E,is required for the purpose ofestablishing the connection of the balancing-jack with the shoulder a.of thehammer-butt, so as to adjust it in such a manner that when thestroke occurs the hammer-butt will be held up just high enough, so thatthe lilting-jack can escape from its shoulder without producing anyfriction thereon. The cheekliook g of thelever E prevents anysuperfluous downward motion of the balancing-jack when the hammerrebounds from the string. It also prevents the hammer from being blockedby the back check when the player wishes to execute a very rapidrepetition upon the same key.

The advantages of my improved piano-action are, first, that itwill causethe striking of the string and produce asound at any desired dip of thekey below its position of rest from one-sixteenth of an inch to theusual dip of three-eighths of an inch; secondly, as the ham mer issupported by the balance-lever when the key is depressed, a reliablerepeating ac tion is obtained by the alternate action of the lifting andbalancing jacks upon the hammer; third, my improved action further givesthe player full control over the tone, so as to enable him to graduallyincrease the same from the softest pianissimo to the greatest practicalfortissimo without any interruption by the es capement or perceptiblechange in the touch. Owing to these advantages my improved piano-actiondoes not require any bufl'stop or shifting-pedal in order to producepianissimo, by which an injurious effect is exerted upon the surface ofthe hammer-heads, and other disadvantages are incurred.

As compared to the actions heretofore in use, myimproved action is ofgreater simplicity and consequently greater cheapness, while it is notsubjected as much to climatical changes. It can be regulated to a nicctyby adjusting the balancing-spring while the frietion of the operatingparts is reduced, and thereby the wear of the action be reduced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as newand desireto securebyLetters Patent- 1. In a piano forte action, the combination of ahammer-butt having two shoulders, one above the other, a lil'ting-jack,a balancingjack, a hitching device by which the balanc ing-jack isretained on the lower shoulder of the hammer-butt, and abalancing-spring applied to the balancing-jack so as to impart aconstant backward tension thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt having twoshoulders, one

above the other, a lifting-jack, a balancing jack, a hitching device bywhich the balanc ing-jack is retained on the lower shoulder of thehammer-butt, a balancing-spring applied to the balancing-j ack, and afulcrumed balancing-lever to which the balancing-jack is pivoted,substantially as specified.

3. In a piano-forte action, the combination,

of a hammer-butt having two shoulders, one above the other, alifting-jack, a spring-actuated balancing -jack, a hitching device bywhich the balancing-jack is retained on the lower shoulder of thehammer-butt, said hitching device consisting of a hitch-pin applied tothe hammer-butt, and of a slitted hitchingstrap applied to thebalancing-jack, substantially as set forth.

4. In a piano-forte action, the combination of the hammer-butt havingtwo shoulders, one above the other, a liftingack acting upon the uppershoulder, a spring-actuated balancingjack hitched to the hammer-buttbelow the lower shoulder, a fulcrumed balancing-lever, andabalancing-spring that is applied to a fixed supporting-post, andconnected by a looped cord that extends around the lower end of thebalancing-jack to a point above the pivot of the same, so as to impart abackward motion to the balancingjack, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt having twoshoulders, one

6. In a piano-action, the combination of the V hammer-butt A, having twoshoulders, a a, a lifting-jack, O, a balancing-jack, E, hitched to thehammer-butt, afulcrumed lever, E, having check-hook g andregulating-button f, a balancing-spring, G, applied by a tensionscrew,6, to an upright post, F, and by a looped cord, G, to thebalancing-jack, the balancingspring being supported in the grooved upperend of the post F, and provided with a hookshaped end for attaching theconnecting-cord, substantially as specified.

7. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt, A, havingtwo shoulders, or a, one above the other, alifting'jack, O,abalancing-jack, E, hitched to the hammer-butt, a fulcrumedbalancing-lever, E, a balancingspring, G, applied to a connectingpost,F, and by a looped cord, G, to the balancingjack, the balancing-lever Ebeing provided with a check-wire and button, h h, that abut against ablock-screw, h on the hammer-butt arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS L. BECKER.

\Vitnesses:

CARL KARP, I SIDNEY MANN.

